The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-02-03

The task before me, then, was TO pre-
pare for the final struggle, to thorough
" mature my plans. to utilize the con.
troll / still had over the ship to the ut,
most advantage, and to put into shape
ell plausible objections and hints
could think upon, which would be help.
full TO me if adopted by the crew.
What 1 needed most was more fire
arms. The revolver carried had five
chambers. and it was rare good fortune
that | had got hold of it. In the hope
that Duckling may have had weapon
l had searched his cabin, but l found
that the carpenter had been ahead OF
me and had thoroughly overbauled his
effects. l could only hope then that
Duckling did not have a revolver since
If be did Stevens was pretty sure to
have secured it
The men during the time now pass
ing were enjoying themselves eating
poultry and roast pork and drinking
freely of the rum on board. Believing
they were becoming drunk | knocked
at Miss Robertson's door to tell her on
no account to show herself on deck. !
found her calm and brave as ever but
was grieved to see that there was no
improvement in her fathers mental
condition and that his mind appeared
to be hOpelessly bewildered.
At her request / explained as fully
as possible the condition of affairs and
what / anticipated might happen. l
said:
''On Friday afternoon l shall tell the
carpenter that the ship is fifty or sixty
miles off the coast of Florida. If the
night is calm-and l pray that it may
be-the ship viii be hove to, that is.
stationary on the water; the
lOng-boat will be slung over the side,
and the quarJeT-boat lowered. Ill this
is certain to happen. But now come
my doubts. VIII the crew remain on
board until the man they send into the
hold 10 scuttle the vessel rejOins them?
or will they get into the boats and wait
for him alongside? If they take to
the boats and wait for the man,
the ship is ours. If they remain
on board then our preservation will
depend upon the bosom"
''HOw?"
He will either kill the man who
gets into the hold, or knock him in
sensible. He will then have to act as
though he were the man he has knocked
on the head"
Il see"
''If they call to him, he will have to
answer them without showing himself.
Perhaps he will call TO them. They
will answer him. They will recessari-
ly mutfie their voices, that we who are
aft may not suspect what they are
about In that case the bosom may
the voice of the man he
has knocked on the head success
fully"
But what will he tell them?"
why, that his job is nearly finished,
and that they had best take to the
boats and hold off for him, as he is
her in half dozen places,
and the people aft will find her sinking
and make a rush to the boats if they
are not kept away. He will tell them
that when he has done scuttling her he
will run up and jump overheard and
swim to them. This, if done cleverly.
may decide the men to shove off. We
shall see"
lit is clever scheme" she an
'wered, musingly. The boatswain's
ife depends upon his success, and L be-
ieve he will succeed in dipping them"
"What can be done he will DO, | am
'ure. :" l said. not choosing to admit
hat had not her confidence in the
trataGem, because | feared that the
more the bOatSwain should cndeavor
o disguise his voice, the greater would
Ne the risk of its being recognized.
but let me tell You that this is the
worst view of the case. 1t is quite
that the men will take to the
,oats and wait for their mate to finish
n the hold, not only because it will
ave time, but because they will mag
ne it an cffectual way of compelling
is to remain on the vessel"
"What villains! And if they take to
he bOatS?"
Then I shall want you"
"What can l do?''
1--WE shall see. There still remains
third chance. The carpenter is. or l
ave read his character upside down,
'orn murderer. it is possible that this
'illain may design to leave the man
whom he sends into the hold TO sink
With the ship. He has not above half
dozen chums, confidential friends,
mong the crew, and it will be his and
heir policy to rid themselves of the
'thers as best they can. so as to DIM
h., g
hem. If, therefore. they contemplate
his. they will leave the ship while they
oppose the act of scuttling to be act
ally proceeding. Now, among the
Oahy schemes which have entered my
mind, there WAS one should have put
n practice had | not feared to commit
ny action which might in the small
st degree imperil your safety. This
cheme was to cautiously sound the
minds of the men who were not in the
intimate confidence; ascer-
ain how far they relish the notion of
uitting the ship for shore that might |
rove inhOspitable, or on which their |
oats might be wrecked and themselves |
rowned; and discover. by what |
hrewdneSs | am master of, how many |
might get to come over to my SIDE if |
ne boatswain and myself turned upon
tevens and killed him, shot down |
ohnson, and fell. armed with my re-
Diver and couple of Delaying pins,
pom Cornish and Fish - these three |
len composing Stevens cabinet. | |
ay that this was quite practicable, and |
o very great courage required To exc
ute it, as we should have killed or |
-unned these men before they would |
e able TO resist us.
There would be nine left.
''Ies; put l should have reckoned |
pom some OF them helping me"
You could not have depended upon |